The Mexican economy, like many other economies in the Third World, has grown as the result of a flourishing oil industry. One major problem which faces economic development planners in such economies is how to ensure that development in the oil sector leads on to more general development in the rest of the economy. Often, oil led development may induce agricultural stagnation, increasing food imports, inflation and income concentration.

Planning the Mexican Economy (originally published in 1984), based on original research, looks at how this problem has been and might be faced in the Mexican economy. It uses econometric modelling to chart the relationship between different sectors of the economy and to show how change in one factor—such as income redistribution—affects other factors. It puts forward and compares different comprehensive development strategies and makes recommendations about the most effective approaches and policies.